Professor Martin Landrø has been awarded StatoilHydro's 2007 researcher prize for his work in four-dimensional seismology, or 4-D seismic.


The prizewinner is a professor in applied geophysics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.


"Professor Landrø is one of the pioneers in the development and use of 4-D seismic for monitoring oil and gas production from our reservoirs," says Lasse Amundsen, chief researcher in geophysics at StatoilHydro. "For the past 10 years he has provided important theoretical and practical contributions towards enhancing this technology."


The 4-D seismic method compares data from three-dimensional surveys performed in the same field at different points in time.


The fourth dimension, time, gives information about how oil and water have flowed in the reservoir and where remaining oil can be found. By adding the fourth dimension to the interpretation of seismic data, the field’s recovery factor can be considerably improved.


Landrø was a key player in the first trials of 4-D seismic on the Gullfaks field. The qualifying and further development of the technology has led to improved recovery and an increase in value of NOK 6 billion per year from Gullfaks alone.